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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a associate's degree in Biology, General worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 53 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff

−$104,743 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

549.9 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−98%Estimated return after 10 years
$45,194Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$45,194 observed annual earnings · 2 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$45,194Typical earnings four years after completion
$43,540Average earnings five years after completion
$10,385Typical federal student debt
41thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
47College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Biology, General

How much do Biology, General associate's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $45,194 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $10,385. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Biology, General?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $37,949 to $48,980 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Biology, General?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 10 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.

Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$55,777
Federal debt
$22,505
Programs in the comparison
3
2 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$45,194
Federal debt
$10,385
Programs in the comparison
53
47 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$57,546
Federal debt
$25,000
Programs in the comparison
1,010
864 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$71,655
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
58
58 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings
$108,206
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
14
14 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings
$74,001
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
2
2 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$37,949National median$45,19475th percentile$48,980
47 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$48,98075th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$10,385Median federal debt across programs that report it
4Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION

Three useful places to start

Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.

Highest observed earnings

Long Beach City College

$62,849 four years after completionLong Beach, CA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

San Diego Miramar College

$6,500 among completer borrowersSan Diego, CA · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Houston City College

582 reported awards in 2024–25Houston, TX · inspect the full program →
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP

Where colleges sit for this exact degree

Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.

$59,744Observed year-4 earnings$43,435
$3,860Annual college-wide average net price$15,911
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Long Beach City College$62,8492Black Hills State University$60,3493St Philip's College$59,7444Houston City College$58,8465Delaware Technical Community College-Terry$54,7886Austin Community College District$54,3637San Antonio College$51,4248Blinn College District$50,9459College of Western Idaho$50,65810San Diego City College$50,465

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Jobs this degree may lead to

Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary$84,620 median wage50,190 jobs nationwide+7.3% projected growth through 2035 · 4,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$52,150–$169,900 typical wage rangeBiological Technicians$57,510 median wage69,620 jobs nationwide+7.4% projected growth through 2035 · 9,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$40,330–$84,940 typical wage rangeNatural Sciences Managers$167,220 median wage108,690 jobs nationwide+8.2% projected growth through 2035 · 9,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$79,710–$316,850 typical wage rangeMedical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$103,410 median wage172,340 jobs nationwide+12.6% projected growth through 2035 · 10,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$64,800–$177,780 typical wage rangeBiological Scientists, All Other$98,920 median wage55,850 jobs nationwide+4.7% projected growth through 2035 · 4,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$60,430–$168,010 typical wage rangeLife Scientists, All Other$93,750 median wage7,460 jobs nationwide+6.3% projected growth through 2035 · 400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$58,670–$186,260 typical wage rangeForensic Science Technicians$72,060 median wage19,120 jobs nationwide+13.3% projected growth through 2035 · 2,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,250–$117,250 typical wage rangeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040 median wage1,065,210 jobs nationwide-0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 63,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,780–$107,600 typical wage rangeFood Science Technicians$52,130 median wage14,600 jobs nationwide+4.8% projected growth through 2035 · 3,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$39,820–$78,820 typical wage rangeAgricultural Technicians$49,630 median wage15,130 jobs nationwide+5.4% projected growth through 2035 · 2,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$35,980–$76,480 typical wage range

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

EXPLORE BY STATE

Where this degree has enough data to compare

State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.

TX12 programs$44,807 average earningsCA7 programs$49,825 average earnings

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.